Story

Description

Stan's dad sends the boys, who are fully decked out in their Lord of the Rings costumes, on a playful "quest" to deliver a rented copy of the Lord of the Rings movie to Butters' house. However, Randy has also rented the porno Back Door Sluts 9, which he soon realizes he's mistakenly put in the Lord of the Rings video box.

The boys deliver the tape to Butters, who promptly watches it. Realizing their horrible mistake, Stan's parents eventually catch up with the boys and get them to perform another, even more important mission: retrieve the tape back from Butters. Butters loves the video he's seen and is distraught that the boys want it back. He begs them not to take his "precious." They take it anyway.

On the way home, the boys barely escape from three sixth graders intent on stealing the porno. Deciding that the movie possesses some horrible power, Stan, Kyle, and Cartman, accompanied by Craig, Jimmy, and Filmore, decide to return it to the Two Towers Video Store in nearby Conifer. But a whole army of sixth graders, desperate to see the film, blocks their way.

Meanwhile, the parents fan out to look for the tape and their kids. The boys, hopelessly lost, suddenly encounter Butters, who's been following them and his "precious" tape. He guides them to the video store, but tries to grab the tape and run away with it. Just as the sixth graders turn up, Kyle grabs Butters and stuffs him (along with the tape) into the store's after-hours drop-off box.

The parents arrive at the video store and, thinking the boys have watched the porno, desperately try to put the movie (which the boys never saw) "into context" by talking pretty graphically about the various sex acts it portrays. The boys are shocked and appalled.

What I Learned Today

"Going number one or number two on your lover is something people might do, but you must make sure your partner is okay with it before you start doing it."

Parents

Character Debuts

Locations

Behind The Scenes

From Trey: “If Matt and I were gonna make any type of Top 15, it would definitely include this episode.”

According to Matt and Trey: “It was nice because it was an episode that, as we got into it, it felt so much like kids just being kids.”

Matt & Trey said this episode is kind of like "Good Times With Weapons": "The kids take on a role, and then we get a spoof... But then they have a quest and they take it seriously, and then there becomes real stakes."

Talingharr the Black (Token) is voiced by Adrien Beard, longtime Producer/Head Of Storyboard.

From Matt & Trey: "We always love those episodes where the kids dress up like something, act like something, and then the story tumbles along in a way that reinforces the idea that they’re playing the game."

Matt's favorite scene from this episode: "I love when Cartman calls the kids playing Harry Potter 'fags'. Like THAT’S stupid, but Lord of the Rings is cool."

Where Did The Idea Come From

Partially based on Matt seeing a porno when he was a kid, and not understanding what it was.

The Hottest Porno Ever

According to Matt: “We had to go back and forth with Standards about exactly how we could do the porno stuff and make it ok... I think it was BARELY ok."

Season 6 Intro

This version of the intro with Timmy singing in it was only used for the 17 episodes in Season 6.

Character Art: The Wizard

Character art used in designing Cartman's "Wizard" look.

Location Art: Butters' Basement

This is the 1st time we see Butters' basement. Any time
there's a new location, it must be designed and approved
before animation starts.

Character Art: Butters

This pose of Butters' reaching for his precious required a
special pose. Check out this old-school character design.

Character Art: Butters

This hiding spot beneath the tree required a special setup.
Back then, all the contruction paper textures were labeled
by hand.

Character Art: Elven Pip

Check out this never-beforeseen character art of Pip as an Elf. May he rest in peace…

Character Art: Jimmy

Check out the character art
used while designing Jimmy's "Lord Of The Rings" look.

Character Art: Randy

Here's the production art used in creating that steamy Randy thong scene.

Character Art: Butters

Any alterations to a character, like this
filthy version of Butters, requires new art and poses.

Script Excerpt

Script excerpt from a classic Jimmy scene.

Pop Culture References

Shout Outs

The episode is an extended parody of The Lord of the Rings, with Butters serving as Gollum, the boys as ringbearers, and the porno as the "precious" ring of power.

For a brief moment in Butters' basement, we catch a glimpse of the "hottest porno ever made" -- on screen is porn star Evan Stone.

Pwn'd

The posters in the video store are for the films Guys in Black Suits and Nutty, Nutty West, both of them parodies of the Will Smith vehicles Men in Black and Wild, Wild West.

Bonus Factoids

In 2011, fans ranked this episode as #15 on their list of all time favorite South Park episodes.

In this episode, Clyde is the High Elf of Faragon. In The Stick Of Truth, he's a Level 14 Warrior. At least, until he gets banished from space and time…

The Two Towers video store is located in Conifer. The boys also beat the Conifer little league team in "The Losing Edge".

The leader of the 6th Graders' gang gets an ass kicking of his own in "Pre-School", when Trent Boyett gives him a "Texas Chili Bowl".

This is Kevin Stoley's debut appearance in South Park. He's appeared a number of times since, most notably in "Fatbeard".

Kenny's Soul in Cartman's Body

Multiple times throughout this episode, the boys reference Kenny's soul being trapped inside Cartman's body. They're referring to what happens in “A Ladder To Heaven”, when Cartman takes Kenny's urn and drinks his ashes (thinking it was chocolate milk mix).

Character Costumes

The boys' outfits in this episode served as an inspiration for
"South Park: The Stick of Truth". Too bad Kenny wasn't around in physical form to play Galadriel.

Tenorman Easter Egg

Pointless Observations

When we first met the sixth graders in "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery," they were called fifth graders. This change in title is due to Season 4's "Fourth Grade," where all the students in South Park moved up a grade.

The boys' Lord of the Rings council is comprised of Timmy, Jimmy, Token, Craig, Pip, Dougie, Ike, Jason, Tweek, Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Clyde, Kevin, and Filmore (the kindergartener). Kevin, not getting the Lord of the Rings theme, wears a Stormtrooper mask from Star Wars.